Sew and Sew: Disney Style

It's been a really long while since my last edition of Sew & Sew. I have been doing more creating, especially lately, so I thought I'd share some of my latest projects, particularly the ones for our upcoming trip to Disney.

I picked some Disney-ish fabrics to make the each of the girls a dress. I prefer the idea of creating the 'look' of Disney, as opposed to using Disney print fabric. These two dresses only required about 4 yards total of fabric, purchased on sale of course! For Sienna's dress I used my "go-to" pattern when it comes to little girls dresses (New Look 6613). I have made probably a dozen dresses from this same pattern with 2 more planned.

 I didn't want the dresses to be exact duplicates of each other, so for Tatiana's dress I chose a slightly more grown-up pattern, which I have used once already (McCall's 5574). I love this style, particularly because of the middle bodice section which allows for lots of fabric mixing & matching. Neither of the patterns called for ruffles at the bottom, so I just measured around the bottom edge and multiplied by 1.5 to get the length (you can do x2 for a fuller ruffle).

 

  

:: frayed fabric flower from this tutorial. For lotsa fabric flower tutorials visit here ::

  

:: detail of Mickey heads added to the ends of the straps. I tried several different methods, but the winner was just to trace/draw a Mickey head on a double layer of fabric, then zig-zag stitch with a really short stitch length (as in applique) around the inside of the tracing, then cut away the extra fabric close to the stitching. ::

  

 :: appliqued Mickey head. I'm not that great at applique, but I'm improving. ::

An old pair of Target jeans get new life as Disney capris!

 

  

:: I had to open up the inside seam of the leg to put on the applique and then sew it back up again. I think they still need "something". Maybe a patchwork belt or something added to the back pockets? ::

:: And just because I couldn't resist. ::

Win Some, Lose Some

I *love* it when a plan comes together. That said, we all know what sometimes happens to even the best laid plans. Let's start with the one that went awry.

I was trying to make a pattern for a Kitchenaid cover for a friendly blog reader. I measured. I re-measured. I planned. I felt confident. {First sign that a plan will inevitably go haywire.} I would have felt terrible if she would've just followed my diagrams, cut her precious fabric & then have the pattern not work out. To avoid such an inevitable awful situation, I figured I better just cut some of my own scrap fabric following the pattern right quick. Um, yeah. Here is the evidence that I tried:

:: maybe it can be saved? ::

It isn't too easy to make something fit nicely on an object that isn't very, um, nicely shaped. The front is wider than the back, leaving way too much excess fabric than I had planned. I did manage to repin the whole thing to see if I can get it to fit better. Dear Andrea, you might be better of just buying a pattern from JoAnn's when they go on sale for 99-cents. I'm sure you could tweak it to look like the one you saw at Target :>)

Now for the plan that *worked*.

:: pink damask on the outside ::

:: rainbow of colors inside ::

I had seen crayon rolls {most recently at Steph's blog} and pencil rolls, but really loved the rolls that had the fabric in each slot matching the crayon/pencil color. I think it just adds a really cool dimension to the whole project, not to mention can work as a great teaching tool for the little ones as they need to match the colors. I had this project already in the works & decided to pull it altogether just in time for my 6-year old niece's birthday gift. You could probably do velcro on a strap to hold the whole thing closed, instead of tying a ribbon. I think the ribbon makes it look prettier, not to mention being good practice for bow-tying, yes? I envision several of these as Christmas gifts, when paired with a personalized sketchpad or coloring book. The best part? Using up the scraps that I've been saving makes this a pretty & *pretty frugal* project.

Sew and Sew: Reconstructed

Once upon a time, there was a cute pair of Old Navy girls' jeans. They were well constructed, but also well loved. They developed a large tear at the bottom hem of one leg, probably from a slightly too short owner. They wound up at a thrift store, dreaming of a new home. Then I came along & saw what they might become. Here they are now. Reconstructed.

:: front::

::back::

:: on their new owner::

They look a little Disney-ish for some reason, probably the red & white polka dot fabric making think of Minnie Mouse. Now she just needs a red shirt to go with them. This was a fairly straightforward project. I used the cut-off legs to the add the triangle shaped piece in the front and back. The back was a little tricky as I had to cut off a little extra fabric that kind of sticks out when you lay the pants/skirt flat. I added a little red top-stitching around each triangle piece and also around the bottom where the denim meets the ruffle. Not bad for a first attempt, eh? I think it's a great way to give a little love to a pair of holey jeans!

Sew and Sew: Kids

Edited to add: Blogger did not want to play nice with me. I tried & tried to reupload the pictures for this post and finaaaalllly succeeded. Now ya'll can see the stuff I made.

It's been awhile since I've posted an "issue" of Sew and Sew, mostly because I haven't been sewing much! I've really had to be selective about my projects, as my time is so limited. I can't wait until the baby is much less maintenance and frees me up a bit more, then again, I CAN wait, if you know what I mean.

First up is a girl's hair wrap! I *loved* this project & really is simple enough for a beginner. I used a $1.50 towel from Wal-Mart, just in case I couldn't get the end result to "work out". I made it using this tutorial. First I made it using the measurements she specifies, sewed it up, then put it on my daughter's head and figured out about how much I needed to cut off to make it smaller. {If anyone is really interested in this project, please email me & I can give you exact specs!}

She loves it! No more wet jammies after bathtime & she feels all grown-up wearing it too!

Next up are a pair of Easter dress for my girls. I am so UNtraditional sometimes. No pink ruffles or little bonnets for me. These were made using Simplicity pattern 3588. I got a chance to use some of the great features on my new machine, like overlocking the edges and using the blind-hemming foot. I looked *everywhere* for a pink frog closure to make the front look a little more Asian, but to no avail. Oh, well. I actually finished the one for Little Sister after church & sewed frantically right up until we had to leave for Easter dinner. Nothing like a deadline for a little motivation!

:: Happy sisters with Princess Leia-like hair-dos ::

That's all for today. I have made a few other things, but just don't have time to take pictures. Hope you had a blessed weekend!

Sew and Sew: Resources

Seems like more and more people I know are either taking up sewing or picking it up & improving their skills. This excites me to no end! Nothing better than to talk with a friend about something you both enjoy. I, myself, love learning from other more experienced sewers, like my grandma and my mother-in-law, and would love to share what I've learned with others as well. Here is a list of some of my favorite tutorials or sewing resources:

Sew, Mama, Sew blog : there is a link in my sidebar to this also. Every month they feature something new. I *loved* the Handmade Holidays series {30 posts worth of tutorials in this one link, ya'll} for gift-giving inspiration {not to early to start for next year}!

Tiered Skirt Tutorial: Sew easy! You know I've made like 10 of these so far. Always a perfect fit!

Installing a Zipper: Just in case those zippers leave you clammy with nervousness, this will calm your fears.

Making a Zippered Pouch: These could make great little gifts for all walks of life!

Baby Sewing: Lots of neat tutes here, like slings & diaper bags & sheets and more!

More Tutes than You can shake a stick at. Seriously.

Coffee Cozy: Haven't made one yet. But I think all my Starbuck-ers will be getting them for Christmas next year. Sew cute!

Bagsket Tutorial: I just made one last week. It's uber-cute! I'll post it when I get a minute.

Craftbits: Lots of goodies here. Not just for sewing either. Check it out.

Craftster: See what others have made & learn from their mistakes or process in the forums. I particularly enjoy the Purses, Bags, Wallets forums and the Kids Completed Projects and Kids Sewing Discussions.

I think that's quite enough to keep us all busy for sometime now, don't you agree? I enjoy several blogs as well for serious inspiration, such as Sugar Shop, Craft Apple, Pink Chalk Studio, & Pink Lemonade Boutique. Have a lovely weekend & happy creating!

P.S. If you're in love with a blog or tute that I didn't mention, please share with me & the rest of the group ;>)

Easy Come, Easy Go

She was beautiful. I lovingly created her pattern myself, from scratch. I ordered some special fabrics online. I quilted the bottom of the front & back and made my first attempt at adding piping. She did lay listlessly in my "to finish" pile for some time, but once I got my new machine, she was one of the things to get finished first. I was saving her for summer. She would be perfect for a trip to the beach or the park. I hung her in my closet. Then.....I got impatient. I thought using her now would lift my spirits. I packed her up carefully for a trip to my in-laws house. That would be the first and last time I would use her.

My SIL: Wow! Nice bag!

Me: Thanks ;>)

SIL: Can I buy a bag from you like that? I'll give you $20.

Me: You mean, a bag like this one or this one?

SIL: No. That one.

Me: Um....ok.

So, I unpacked her & I'll hopefully see her now & again when I come to visit. Here she was:

P.S. Thanks to my summery bag, I have an order for another one in different fabrics from one of hubby's cousins!

Sew and Sew: American Girl

Yep. I'm addicted. My sister-in-law thinks I'm a nut. My niece got an American Girl doll for Christmas, so what did I get her as a gift? Handmade doll clothes of course. The great thing about sewing for a doll is that if you are a beginning sewer, it will give you a good idea of how things are generally constructed. It's great for people who get easily bored with projects {like me} because they are relatively quick to make. Also, they require very little fabric to make + 99 cent patterns = inexpensive gift! Here are some things I've made so far:

:: denim jacket & jeans ::

:: red plaid jumper {kinda matches my niece's school uniform} ::

:: purple fleece jogging suit {ya know, for when the doll exercises} ::

:: embroidered fleece coat {my favorite} ::

:: purple dress & matching headband ::

I have been using Simplicity patterns 7083 and 4786. They all fit perfectly! I also was alerted to the fact that all the old patterns that were sold with some of the dolls are available at the agplaythings website. I've downloaded Molly's clothes & Josefina's clothes. You have to print out the patterns on multiple pages & then piece them together, but hey, they're free. These little projects are seriously fun and give me a quick sewing fix. Can't wait til there's a doll in my family. Maybe for my girl's 7th birthday............or when I turn 31 :>)

Happy 200th Post...well sorta

Well, I didn't realize that blogger adds up the "drafts" of posts that you start, but don't publish, so technically this is about post 198, but I figured, enough with the suspense already. I also didn't realize, when I first began, that I would enjoy blogging as much as I do. I originally created this with the intent to post cheesy family photos & keep my loved ones updated on the ongoings of our life. I still try to do this, but it seems like blogs sometimes take on lives of their own. I've made some really opinionated posts, some informative ones, and {hopefully} some inspiring ones as well. At this juncture I hope that my blog serves to help me achieve one of my life's missions: to encourage other moms/women to be Godly, creative homemakers and to share in my pursuit of the same thing. Thank you to all {guys too!} who enjoy this journey with me, whether you were here from the beginning or have just joined us. I created this little duo to give away to express my appreciation:

::Patchwork NotePad Holder & Patchwork Tissue Holder::

::Inside of the NotePad Holder::

::Cute Girly Tissues::

Simply leave a comment by midnight on Saturday, January 5th, and I will pick a winner at random. Good luck & God bless!!

My Crafting Method

Thanks for all the nice words, ya'll! I feel like I am nesting already. The cleaning & organizing has begun to set-in ;>)

In the last post Saralyn asked one (very serious) question: how do you find the time to craft--from deciding what you want to make, to finding a pattern, to actually completing the project--and homeschool? I'm having a horrible time keeping my house in order while homeschooling and simply gaze longingly at the stash of material in my sewing corner! Any tips would be much appreciated.

A: I spend a lot of time thinking about what I want to make before I actually do it. Planning how I will assemble something or what type of fabric I will use or even making sketches and approximate dimensions of the finished product. It was the same way when I worked as a pastry chef: I would review & review in my mind what I wanted to do first, like how to assemble 500 pastries or how I was going to decorate a cake, etc. so that way when it came time to do it, it was like I already had rehearsed it. This sounds kinda silly, but then I spend less time hemming and hawing and trying to figure out what to do next. {This works for other areas of my life as well!}

I keep a folder under my bookmarks called "tutorials". That way when I come across something {during my morning blog/computer time} I want to make, I just file it away for when the mood strikes. Less time searching around for the needed instructions and all my ideas are neatly tucked in one place.

I do a lot of my pattern cutting at night after the kids are in bed, while I am unwinding or watching TV.

I have a dedicated sewing area, which is my "formal dining room/playroom". I can't tell you how much this affects things. It is in the main part of my house so I am always near the kids, either with them right in the same room or just an earshot away. I can do a little at a time as the kids {!} allow like a few minutes of ironing or organizing my next pattern, etc. It is connected to the kitchen as well where we homeschool so occasionally when dd is working on something self-directed, like a workbook or craft project, I can sit for 10 minutes or so and sew. When I was an avid scrapbooker, my workspace was in the basement & I really had to make an effort to go down there to use it. This one thing has made a huge difference.

We only homeschool for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours a day. This is formal school, not including gametime or reading or other learning activities.

I don't have the cleanest house on the block. I'm sure this may seem "wrong" to some people. I consider my house to be in decent shape most of the time, but you wouldn't want to eat off the floor and there is a small layer of dust on the edges of my fan blades. I really find that, since I am a creative person, I need some sort of outlet for that energy. It makes me a more fun, more relaxed, more emotionally healthy mom. I think all moms {dads too!} should do a little something for themselves, whatever it is they enjoy, whether it be exercising or reading or going for walks or bubble baths or cleaning/organizing {!}, on an almost daily basis. Our families will all be better for it.

And last but not least, I have a wonderful husband who supports my hobby & has hobbies of his own which I support. We both understand how these outlets benefit us personally & the how those benefits carry over to our family. There is many an occasion {about once a month, especially during the warmer months} that he will take both of the children for the entire day to his parents so that I can do whatever it is I wish. Prime crafting time! We also have 3 other sets of grandparents {my kids basically have 4 grandparent houses} that like to take the kids for the day or even overnight. More time to myself! This is actually happening today, when my mom is taking the girls to the movie theatre & then overnight for a sleepover. I'm sure I'll get some sewing done, then hubster & I are going to take off to Janesville, just to see what's there.

So that's how I do it. Hope that isn't more than what you wanted to know, but it is a question I get asked from time to time. Maybe today you will carve out a little time for yourself to do something you enjoy. Cheers!

Sew and Sew

Since the completion of my bag making fiasco extravaganza, I feel like a new woman. I am keenly aware that my personality is just not suited to projects that required an extended amount of focus. I like shorter projects that I can finish in a day or two, otherwise I lose my interest and motivation. Here are some of the things that I have been working on. I *love, love, love* that most of these were finished in less than a day, in one case, only 20 minutes!!

Notepad Holder

I made this as a birthday gift for Erin. It is loosely based on this pattern for the Notetaker, but is made for a 5x8" pad of paper & has just a simple paper & pen holder on the inside. {Be sure to check out this other super cute pattern from Pink Chalk Studio!} I have two more assembled that are waiting for interfacing {and new owners around Christmastime}! It's a great way to use up little pieces of fabric & so practical too ;>)

Baby Burp Cloths

It's about time that I made something for myself, or in this case, the wee one. Both of my other babies were pukers excessive spitters, so I made these burpies extra absorbent just in case. I *love* blue and orange together! All the patterns have both of those colors in them, so I made one of each pattern with a blue backing and the other with an orange backing. Each burpie is topstitched with a zig-zag stitch for sturdiness and style ;>) This would be a great project for a beginning sewer & also would make a nice baby shower gift, dontcha think? It's also relatively inexpensive when you get the flannel on sale like I did. I have plenty of fabric left over for coordinating bibs or other baby accessories.

Criss-cross Coasters

I think these are pretty neat, but maybe you are not a coaster person. I really don't use coasters, but I would just because these look so pretty. I am planning on using them in my Christmas gift baskets, along with some homemade pumpkin butter and strawberry preserves and other handmade goodies. I followed the super-easy tutorial here. This is another great beginner project and also so inexpensive {great hostess gifts, girls}! All it requires is cutting & sewing in a square. No need for top-stitching or hand-finishing! Instead of using just another piece of fabric in the middle, I used sew-in fleece, which I believe has some sort of thermal properties for extra protection of your surface. Since I am using a rotary cutter, all the cutting went really quickly. Whenever I do a project like this {and the burp cloths as well}, I always work production style. I do all my cutting first, then all my sewing, then all the trimming & turning, then all the topstitching {if necessary}, then all the pressing. It makes everything go so much smoother.

Fall Napkins

I fell in love with this fabric when I saw it on a tablecloth at Alicia's & knew right away that I wanted to make napkins out of it. I am trying to build up my napkin stash, not only for special occasions, but for everyday use. I plan on making some kiddie napkins to use for breakfasts & lunches, instead of paper towels all the time. I think it'll be more frugal in the long run, not to mention prettier! Hubster must've really liked them because he said, "Whoa! You should make those as gifts!" Usually he just says something like, "Nice."

Easy Toddler Belt

I have been loving the Sew, Mama, Sew blog this month as they are doing 30 days of handmade projects, complete with tutorials. {Sorry, no picture of this one!} I found this idea there & made it the very next day! I already had the metal rings & just used up some stash fabric for the belt. I added a layer of sew-in interfacing for extra sturdiness. Another simple project for the beginning sewer and is perfect for a boy or a girl.

That concludes this edition of Sew and Sew. Hope maybe you were inspired, by these {mostly} simple projects, to create something of your own!

To market, to market.....

I mentioned a few posts ago that my mother-in-law has been trying to persuade me to make some bags for her to sell at her work {a public school of all places, ha}! So I finally did it. I planned. I cut. I sewed. I re~planned. I tried to use as much fabric from my stash as possible, throwing in some newly purchased stuff to keep things exciting. Here are my fruits:

mini-wristlets
{just big enough to fit a cell phone, ar key, debit card, some cash & chapstick. kinda like the modern girl's answer to a fanny-pack.}

sling tote bags
{I have one of these myself & it is the perfect size for my Bible, notebook & a couple extras to carry to church.}

lil Ballerina bag
{It's quilted on the outside & has a zippered pocket on the inside.}

simple large totes
{a nice sized fully lined bag}

quilted messenger bag {front & back}
{this is my favorite! I *love* the fabric & the style & had so much fun with different quilting patterns. I should've gotten a picture of the inside. The underside of the front flap is a chocolate brown & pink polka dot corduroy. It has a patch pocket and a zippered pocket inside as well as a magnetic snap closure. }

Even if I don't sell very many items, it was still a great learning experience & definitely helped to hone my skills. I got a little carried away with all the fabric yo-yos, but they make such a cute little embellishment & are great for using up scraps! And last but not least, I wanted to come up with a business name & logo {ya know, to make me seem all professional}, so this is what I picked:
Pink is very me & the canary is a nod to my maiden name, Canary. I drew the bird free hand on a piece of paper, then scanned & tweaked it in Photoshop. I printed the name of each item & selling price on the back of each tag. Maybe all this professionalism will help sell more bags. Hope you've enjoyed hearing about my "market" experience!

Bags and Bags and Pumpkins, OH MY!

The Bags....
I have been busily plugging away at making some bags to sell at my mother-in-law's school. She has mentioned that a lot of the ladies would be really interested & has encouraged me to do something about it! I ran out of a crucial supply which stalled my progress, but now I am back on track. I want to get these completed so I can move on to other things. I just recently sold two custom bags to moms from Tatiana's dance class, so I would like to be able to start on those without other major bag projects hanging over my head. I really only have one more bag on my "list" to complete for my mil & just yesterday received the fabric from one of the dance class moms. I will post some photos of the lot when they are completed. Hopefully this will net me a little bit of money for the holiday season, but at this point I'd be happy just to make back what I've spent.

The Pumpkins....
About two weeks ago, while *innocently* surfing the net, I ran across this tutorial. I just couldn't help myself. I made this right away:

Isn't it just the cutest little knitted pumpkin?? I *love* it! So much so that I just......

...couldn't....

.....STOP!!!

I need some serious help.

I am using materials from my stash, so it doesn't cost me anything other than 1 hour of my time. It's so quick and a great little project for while I'm unwinding in front of the TV at night or waiting {for the bazillionth time} at the doctor's office or in some other waiting room. I'm not feelin' the love for the larger one with the star as much as the little rounder ones. I have already given one away as a hostess gift. Here he is getting ready for his new home:

...and now he's all boxed up {homemade box of course!} and ready to roll!

Dear Mother-in-law {yet again} suggested that I make some to sell to her lady friends at work. {Um, either she really thinks I need the money or that my handiwork is very cute & desirable. I'm beginning to wonder.....} She also mentioned making a bunch to use as placeholders for the Thanksgiving table. Wouldn't that be uber cute? I thought I could just twist the copper wire in such a way that you could stick the namecard in it! If I have the time and ambition, I may just do that!